Suspected arson at Henley Lake

A shed was destroyed in a suspicious fire at Henley Lake. PHOTO/EMMA BROWN

Crews faced difficulties with fire’s location

EMMA BROWN
emma.brown@age.co.nz

A shed at Henley Lake burned to the ground in the early hours of Monday morning.

Fire crews were called to the shed on fire, just after 1am, at the farm area near the lake.

“[The flames] were through the roof when we got there,” Masterton Fire Brigade station officer Garry Nielson said, saying that the four fire trucks had trouble getting access to the fire which was across paddocks about 100 metres from Colombo Rd..

They had to run a hose all the way out to Colombo Rd to get access to water, he said.

It took more than two hours to bring the blaze under control.

The building was originally built by the community around 1987 as part of a rare breeds display area that was open to the public but ceased operation after problems with rustling of stock, Andrea Jackson, Masterton District Council’s manager facilities and activities, said.

The building was within an area of council land fenced off and leased by a farmer.

No stock were harmed by the fire.

The council will make the area safe when the police and fire have finished their site investigations, Jackson said.

It had received reports of people acting suspiciously around the building last week, with smoke seen at the site at one point. The activity was reported to police.

Nielson said the fire appears to be suspicious as the shed was quite old, had no power and was only used for storage of things like hay.

In December last year, an observation tower at Henley Lake Park was destroyed by fire.